MEETING JESUS IN THE
SACRAMENTS
CHAPTER 8
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS
Why Men Become Priests?
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men”
WHY BECOME A PRIEST?
Many men are attracted to the essential
sacramental role the priest has in the Church.
The examples of men who are already ordained
inspire those considering the priesthood.
Who Can Be
Ordained?
Holy Orders is the means for
perpetuating the mission of
Christ.
No one has the right to receive
Holy Orders.
Holy Orders is reserved only for
baptized males.
The Church is bound to the
choice made by the Lord himself
not to include women among the
Twelve.
This practice is part of the
Church’s Deposit of Faith.
Celibacy
The renunciation of marriage made by those
who receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders
for more perfect observance of chastity
This commitment is in imitation of Christ
It is a sign of new life and service to which
the Church’s ministry is made holy
Areas of
Formation
HUMAN
FORMATION
SPIRITUAL
FORMATION
INTELLECTUAL
FORMATION
PASTORAL
FORMATION
Understanding the
Sacrament of Holy Orders
The orders of bishop and priest enable the
one who is ordained to act in the person of
Christ.
The order for deacon is intended to help and
serve the priests and bishops in their work.
Priesthood in
the Old
Testament
In early Israel, the
father of the family
acted as priest.
During the Exodus,
Moses selected
seventy elders to aid
him in discerning
God’s will.
After the Temple was
constructed, the main
role of priests was
Temple duty.
The Priesthood
of Christ
The ministerial
priesthood shares the
unique priesthood of
Christ and is at the
service of the common
priesthood.
The Apostles soon
realized they needed
help in their ministry.
The Apostles chose
men to serve as
presbyters and selected
episcopoi to continue
their work after their
deaths.
Brief History of the
Sacrament
 2nd Century: bishop ordained priests and
deacons to help him in his ministry
 4th Century: clergy gained more privileged
status
 Middle Ages: diaconate a step to priesthood
 Influence of monasticism (celibacy)
 Council of Trent: seminary training for priests
 Vatican II: restored the permanent diaconate;
called for a New Rite of Ordination
Celebrating the Sacrament
of Holy Orders
Holy Orders is
celebrated and
exercised in three
degrees:
Episcopacy
Presbyterate
Diaconate
The Ordination
of Bishops
Fullness of Holy
Orders
The ordinary confers
the sacrament on the
bishop-elect through
laying on of hands
and a consecratory
prayer
Receives Book of
the Gospels, ring,
mitre, and crosier
The Ordination
of Priests
Presented to the
bishop after assent
of the community
The bishop confers
the sacrament on the
ordinand through
laying on of hands
and a consecratory
prayer
Receives a stole and
a chasuble and has
hands anointed with
chrism
The Ordination
of Deacons
Transitional or
permanent
The bishop confers
the sacrament on the
ordinands through
laying on of hands
and a consecratory
prayer
Receives Book of
the Gospels, a stole,
and a dalmatic
The Grace of the Sacrament
of Holy Orders
Holy orders conforms the ordained
minister even more closely to Christ,
giving him an indelible character.
The Grace of the Sacrament
of Holy Orders
ACTING AS CHRIST THE HIGH PRIEST
ACTING AS CHRIST THE TEACHER
ACTING AS CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Ordination Leads to a
Ministry of Service
Holy Orders gives bishops,priests, and deacons
special graces to be faithful to their vocation
Bishops and priests serve the People of God by
teaching, worship, and pastoral governance
Ordination Leads to a
Ministry of Service
Service to the Universal
Church
Ordination to the episcopate
makes each new bishop a
member of the episcopal
college.
The pope, as head of the
college of bishops, has the
added charism of infallibility.
Service to the Local Church
To preach the Gospel to all
To sanctify the People of God
by providing the Eucharist and
other sacraments
To govern the parish through
pastoral ministry
Ordination Leads to a
Ministry of Service
Facilitating a Call to Serve
The history of every
priestly vocation, indeed
of every Christian
vocation, is the history of
an inexpressible dialogue
between the love of God
who calls and the freedom
of the individuals who
lovingly respond to him.
St. Maximilian Kolbe
Polish priest who was
martyred at Auschwitz
after sacrificing himself
in place of a young
Jewish man, saying
these words:
“I AM A CATHOLIC
PRIEST”